12 CEO apologies that fell short

By Julie Balise

Updated 12:27 pm, Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

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Evan Spiegel, Snapchat CEO

Last month, Spiegel said he was "mortified" after
Valleywag published offensive e-mails he wrote while at Stanford University. "I'm sorry I wrote them at the time and I was [a] jerk to have written them. They in no way reflect who I am today or my views towards women," he said. less

The energy company caused outrage online after offering gift certificates for a free pizza and a 2-liter drink to residents in a Pennsylvania town where a natural gas well explosion killed one worker in February. The certificates came with a letter stating, "Chevron recognizes the effect this has had on the community." less

Chevron

The energy company caused outrage online after offering gift certificates for a free pizza and a 2-liter drink to residents in a Pennsylvania town where a natural gas well explosion killed one worker in

Perkins apologized for any misunderstandings around his Wall Street Journal letter that compared critics of the rich to Nazis. He said, "I’d deeply apologize to you and anyone who has mistaken my reference to Kristallnacht as a sign of overt or latent anti-Semitism. This is not the case." less

Campbell's apologized for offending anyone with its tweet of a cartoon SpaghettiO holding a flag with the message: "Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us" on Dec. 6, 2013, the day before the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The company said, "We apologize for our recent tweet in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day. We meant to pay respect, not to offend." less

SpaghettiOs

Campbell's apologized for offending anyone with its tweet of a cartoon SpaghettiO holding a flag with the message: "Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us" on Dec. 6, 2013, the day before

Wilson apologized in November 2013 after saying that Lululemon pants "don't work for some women's bodies" in response to complaints about "pilling" fabric. He said, "I'm really sad. I’m sad for the repercussions of my actions. I’m sad for the people at Lululemon who I care so much about that have really had to face the brunt of my actions." less

Barilla apologized in September 2013 after saying the pasta company would never make an advertisement featuring a same-sex couple. "With reference to statements made yesterday, I apologize if my words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, or if they have hurt the sensibilities of some people," he said. less

Guido Barilla, CEO of Barilla

Barilla apologized in September 2013 after saying the pasta company would never make an advertisement featuring a same-sex couple. "With reference to statements made yesterday, I

The wireless company was criticized last year after commemorating September 11 by tweeting a photo of a smartphone superimposed over the New York Skyline with the words "Never Forget." It responded by saying, "We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste. The image was solely meant to pay respect to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy." less

AT&T

The wireless company was criticized last year after commemorating September 11 by tweeting a photo of a smartphone superimposed over the New York Skyline with the words "Never Forget." It responded by

In an internal memo, Armstrong said he was accountable for the way he publicly fired Patch creative director Abel Lenz in August 2013 and explained that his action was "driven by the desire to openly communicate" with Patch employees across the country. Armstrong apologized to Lenz directly, according to the memo. "On Friday I acted too quickly and I learned a tremendous lesson and I wanted you to hear that directly from me," he wrote. less

Tim Armstrong, AOL CEO

In an internal memo, Armstrong said he was accountable for the way he publicly fired Patch creative director Abel Lenz in August 2013 and explained that his action was "driven by the

Jeffries posted an apology to Facebook in May 2013 after 7-year-old quotes from a Salon article indicated the brand is "exclusionary." "I sincerely regret that my choice of words was interpreted in a manner that has caused offense. A&F is an aspirational brand that, like most specialty apparel brands, targets its marketing at a particular segment of customers," he wrote. less

The sandwich company caused a stir in January 2013 when a customer discovered the Subway "footlong" was actually 11 inches long. Subway Australia's apology caused more confusion than clarity. "With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, 'SUBWAY FOOTLONG' is a trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length," it said. less

Subway

The sandwich company caused a stir in January 2013 when a customer discovered the Subway "footlong" was actually 11 inches long. Subway Australia's apology caused more confusion than clarity. "With

Hastings was criticized for taking two months to apologize to customers unhappy about changes in its service in 2011. The apology touted the company's success and pitched its new DVD by mail service called "Qwikster." He said, "It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming, and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology." less

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO

Hastings was criticized for taking two months to apologize to customers unhappy about changes in its service in 2011. The apology touted the company's success and pitched its new DVD

The former BP executive had to apologize for his apology following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven BP employees died in the blast. In the earlier statement, he said, "We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back." less

Tony Hayward, former BP CEO

The former BP executive had to apologize for his apology following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven BP employees died in the blast. In the earlier

Admitting fault is not easy.No one enjoys acknowledging their errors in front of the whole world. The best apology is prompt, thorough, and considerate of consumer outrage. It avoids phrases like "I'm sorry if I offended you." And it doesn't take months to materialize.

That apology is sometimes elusive.

We looked at some of the more awkward apologies that have been issued by companies in the Bay Area and across the country. The first came shortly after Valleywag published explicit e-mails Snapchat chief executive Evan Spiegel wrote while at Stanford University. The apology came over e-mail to Business Insider. While this apology was timely, it did nothing to erase the e-mail incident from the public mind.

Where Spiegel's apology fell short, others have outshone the incident they aimed to remedy. View 12 bad apologies above, then let us know about any we missed.